The Mistletoe Effect III : Jackie & Hyde
by Ultrawoman
Summary: Festive OneShot. The effect of mistletoe on Hyde and Jackie in Season 3. Set right at the end of ‘Hyde’s Christmas Rager’.


**A/N : This is the third in a cross-verse fic series, getting my three fave couples together at Christmas, with mistletoes. There was Buffy & Spike in BtVS, Veronica & Logan in VMars, and now it just has to be Jackie & Hyde in T7S! This is my latest fave TV show, and my latest fave ship. Apologies that the story is so short, but I hope you like it anyway!**

**Summary : Festive OneShot. The effect of mistletoe on Hyde and Jackie in Season 3. (Set right at the end of 'Hyde's Christmas Rager'). **

Disclaimer : Any and all recognisable characters from 'That 70's Show' do not belong to me in any way at all.

The Mistletoe Effect III : Jackie & Hyde

_Episode : Hyde's Christmas Rager_

Hyde was grinning as he ran up from the Forman basement to the kitchen. He'd just left Eric about to get his ass kicked by Red again, at least it seemed punishment of some kind was in order, after all the boy had gotten drunk and hurled on his father's shoes. Hyde was pretty sure it was because of Red that Bud was suddenly being overly father-like, but he didn't mind all that much. Forman hadn't been totally wrong when he'd said that 'Hyde loves his Daddy'. It was kinda cool to have a real father figure in his life at last. It was a weird kind of Christmas miracle, or he would think so if he believed such things could happen.

Finding the kitchen empty, Hyde headed through to the living room expecting to find Mrs Forman there. Instead he found an empty couch and someone on a stool behind the Christmas Tree in the corner.

"Jackie?" he checked, thinking he recognised the patterned fabric of her dress sticking out from around the tree.

"Steven!" she gasped in surprise at being caught, her feet slipping from the stool upon which she'd been precariously balanced. She closed her eyes and yelped as she waited for the uncomfortable feeling of hitting the ground with a thump, but it never happened.

When she opened her eyes she found herself nose to nose with the very young man that had startled her. He'd caught her before she hit the ground and was still now holding her there in his arms.

"Hey" he frowned as he looked at her properly, "Jackie, have you been crying?" he asked her.

"No" she denied it quickly, scrambling until he let her down, putting her onto her feet on the carpet beside him. In her hand, Jackie tightly clutched her fourth candy cane which had snapped as she fell. It was typical of things in her life lately, all broken and pointless. Her eyes welled up with more of those tears she denied shedding and she turned away feeling stupid.

"Jackie" Hyde implored her, his hand going to her arm and turning her back to face him, "Man, you are crying" he realised, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing" she told him, flinging the candy in her hands away, "I'm just being all stupid and weak and... I just, I hate being alone for the holidays" she admitted. It was why she'd been over-indulging on candy, why she'd been crying, why she'd been hanging around at the Forman house most of the day...

"Jackie, you're not alone" Hyde told her, almost angrily, "Of all the people around here, you have more than anybody. Family, friends, dumb guys like Kelso who'd crawl across broken glass for you"

"You're wrong, Steven" she told him, "Michael doesn't love me like that anymore" she shook her head, "the only other guys that pay any attention to me are... well, there's nobody I want that way" she half-explained, shuddering as she was reminded of her semi-date with a fireman who used to daughter mother years ago, "Sure my parents buy me everything I want for Christmas but... they can't buy someone to, well, someone to kiss me under the mistletoe" she sighed, gesturing to the plant above their heads.

Hyde's eyes followed her own and he was almost mad when it occurred to him this whole situation may have been engineered precisely so he would kiss Jackie. After all, it wasn't so long ago she was hanging off his every word, begging him to take her out on a date. However, the way she was looking at him now, he realised it really hadn't occurred to her what she was implying until it was done. Now that she had, she almost looked lost for words, and that Hyde would happily use to his advantage.

They were close enough already that he barely had to move as his hand went to her hair and he brushed his lips softly against her own. He didn't think much about the possible consequences, the problems that could occur later if she developed a new and improved crush on him, instead he just kissed her, and enjoyed the fact she kissed him back, the two of them lost in a magical moment until the necessity to breathe finally parted them.

"Merry Christmas, Jackie" he smirked as he looked down at her astonished but brightly smiling face.

"Merry Christmas, Steven" she replied as he turned and walked away, the smile on his own face equally as wide.

Hyde felt he had now done his good deed for the festive season, and it hadn't exactly been a hardship either, whilst back in the living room Jackie was already planning how she could orchestrate New Years in order to repeat the pleasure she had just experienced. In the meantime, she thought, as she glanced heavenward, thank God for mistletoe.

The End


End file.
